Michael Napier

RAF Jaguar Units in Combat

An illustrated account of the development and action-packed service history of the Jaguar attack jet, featuring first-hand accounts from the pilots that flew it into combat. Developed as a joint venture between Britain and France, the SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended to be a jet trainer aircraft, but quickly evolved to fulfil a need for a supersonic attack jet with close air support, reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike capabilities. After first entering service in the 1970s, it flew operational missions for the RAF almost continuously between 1990 and 2003, including numerous combat missions during the first Gulf War and Bosnian War, and reconnaissance missions over northern Iraq and the Balkans. In this eventful volume, former RAF pilot Michael Napier expertly chronicles the storied career of the Jaguar, as well as the remarkable experiences of those that flew it into combat. Complemented by 24 aircraft profiles that demonstrate the variety of colours worn and ordnance employed by the Jaguar, a combination of detailed research, first-hand accounts and both official and personal photographs bring to life the actions of an aircraft that was a mainstay of the RAF’s attack force for more than a decade.